Beyond Paris: Getting Away - Champagne

Getting out of the city.

One of my favorite things about being in Paris was getting out of the city.  While I like Paris, there were times I wanted nothing more than to step outside the city and catch a break. 

Champagne.  Go! This area is easy to get to from Paris via train or car.  We loved this trip.  Our friends were able to drive down from Amsterdam and join us on a road trip from Paris to Champagne.  It’s about an hour and a half drive and I believe similar length via train.  If you drive be prepared to get lost. 

TRAVEL TIP: The French have a bad habit of putting up detour signs and only a few arrows to direct you.  The catch is that their detour signs often lead you in circles or in a totally different dire ction. We all felt like dumb and dumber driving around until we decided, it’s not us, it is most certainly the French.  We had an exciting time weaving our way through the tiny mountain towns.

The champagne obviously takes the cake.  Never again will I drink cheap champagne.  It sounds so snobby but it’s true.  We tasted and drank so much champagne during our weekend stay but not one of us had a headache or a hangover.  Imagine that.  My favorite is the vintage champagne.  Not so sweet and extra dry.   

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the wineries so take your pick. We really enjoyed Mercier. Drink up and enjoy!